Pittodrie, UEFA Conference League Group G, 27/10/23
Me still 296, Wee Man still 164
Aberdeen Football Club
Founded – 1903
Nickname – The Dons
Honours – European Cup Winners Cup – 1982/83. European Super Cup – 1983. Scottish League – 1954/55, 1979/80, 1983/84 and 1984/85. Scottish Cup – 1946/47, 1969/70, 1981/82, 1982/83, 1983/84, 1985/86 and 1989/90. Scottish League Cup -1955/56, 1976/77, 1985/86, 1989/90, 1995/96 and 2013/14. Drybrough Cup – 1980
Random Fact– On this day in 1971 (keeping a European theme) the Dons were defeated by Juventus in the Stadio Communale, 2 v 0. This aided by a potentially bent referee who had all but banned tackling by Aberdeen players on the Italians. Shite refs in Europe. Read on
Our greatest manager Alex Ferguson once uttered one of my favourite quotes in fitba ever while in charge of some mob from England. “Football, bloody hell”. The great one delightedly said this after a last gasp win in the Champions League final in 1999. I will steal it and reverse it. Football, bloody hell, it is nights like these that make me fucking hate it. An emotional rollercoaster that has stripped a few years off later life. From great game plans, a 2 v 0 lead, fucking VAR, baffling subs to leaving after a last minute defeat my blood pressure was all over the place.
Going into this neither Wee Man or I were too confident as we had our tea in one of his favourite haunts, the Mill of Mundurno. However, we were in for a surprise followed by a swift boot to the bollocks with a crampon. With the atmosphere inside Pittodrie buzzing, this aided by the travelling 1500 or so Greeks, the rain disappearing in time for kick off and excited Wee Man next to me on his first ever European game under the lights it had the makings of a good night. The Dons started the brighter team and Miovski was through early but was guilty of a poor touch sending the ball too far in front of him. But Barry Robson’s game plan soon began to become obvious. It was a case of sitting in and trying to hit PAOK on the break. This worked and the Greeks only had one clear cut chance. This when Konstantelias was a fag papers width away from scoring what would have been the best goal we would have seen all season after he skipped and danced his way through what seemed to be a challenge from half the Dons team before placing an effort past Roos who could only watch the ball pass him and strike the post. A huge let off for Aberdeen. Although pinned back Aberdeen were carrying out their duties well with Barron, McGrath, Gartenmann among others all putting in decent shifts. Miovski also is due a mention as he had the thankless task of up top himself, but he put himself about well and continually harassed the PAOK defence when they were on the ball. This was something the whole team did well across the park to be fair. PAOK had two other chances which pulled out routine saves from Roos. The first when Konstantelias was on the end of a rapid fire counter attack but his attempted lob was never going to work on a keeper of Roos’ height. The second was a poor header from Schwab who really should have opened the scoring at the end of the half. But the sides went in level at the half and I had to credit Barry Robson on his tactics as they were working.
HT 0 v 0
Wee Man was clearly enamoured with the boisterous travelling band of Greeks and wanted to have a look at them. So we made our way to wards the fence at the break so he could have a gander. An impressive away support it was too taking more than all Premier teams barring two would normally. He loved the chanting as opposed to singing which he is not used to. A new experience for him. The second half Aberdeen came steaming out the traps with a flurry of attacks. Polvara pulled a save out of Kotarski with a header. Barron seemed to take a sore one from a high boot on the next attack. These moves got the fans going but not as much as the following passage of play when my man of the match so far McGrath put a ball bang on for Miovski to control and tap home, unleashing bedlam around the old stadium. This coming 5 minutes into the half. Aberdeen were looking good and less than ten minutes later it was two as the caught PAOK out on the counter as Polvara broke through unmarked an delicately lofted the ball over onrushing Kotarski. Incredible scenes and the Dons were looking the far better side. This brought out a treble substitution from the visitors in the hope of salvaging something from the match. Something you would do when your team is losing and on the ropes. These subs worked as PAOK entered the game again. Aberdeen looked a bit fearful at the back when the Greeks went forward. They definitely did not have the solidity and confidence of the first half. Then with 20 minutes to go, step forward Barry Robson and his ideas to fix things. The man who had got pretty much everything correct thus far inexplicably followed PAOK’s treble substitution route and did the same replacing three of the four most influential players on the park in Miovski, Barron and Polvara. A lot of head scratching went on around the terraces and before you could say “what the fuck is this about?” PAOK had the ball in the net when Despodov (who came on at the same time as the Aberdeen subs) ran through the box unattended to tap home from close range with his first touch. A goal heavily aided by a Richard Jensen slip. I said to Wee Man at this point “there is a long way to go here and PAOK are going home with one point or three”. The subs had completely disrupted the side and the second PAOK goal seemed an inevitability. But the Dons should have had an opportunity to grab a third when Jack MacKenzie was clearly fouled in the box by PAOK captain Vieriniha. But the ref allowed play to continue. I was awaiting the delay for a check but it never came meaning it could not have been checked.(Confirmed on the radio after the game). A truly outrageous piece of officiating from the ref not to ask and the VAR room to check. It’s unjustifiable and a shambles. Has Austria ever spawned bigger arseholes or criminals than this lot? I seriously doubt anyone comes close. Then as shitty obvious scripts go the equaliser came when Vieriniha took advantage of the space he found himself in and tried to smash the ball across goal. This taking a nick off Jonny Hayes on the way in whos poor initial header lead to the Vieriniha receiving the ball and beating Roos. There were six minutes on the clock and I just bloody knew Aberdeen were going to shitebag this match this despite Kotarski pulling off a wonder save with his foot from a low effort from an Aberdeen player(I didn’t even notice who hit it). Then as rain turns to puddles the Greeks won it in the 96th minute from the penalty spot. I have no issue with the penalty itself as it was a stick on penalty. What does grate me is it was looked at by VAR as it should have been like any potential incidents in the box. But 12 or 13 minutes earlier these Austrian jokers didn’t even bat an eyelid at a stonewall penalty . VAR is there to eliminate human error and highlight missed infringements which it did tonight but also really fucking didn’t too. Where is the consistency? It is not supposed to decide who wins a match. If there is no consistency then the the whole system is a bogey. Football needs rid of this pox on the game. It is utterly fucking shite and is ruining it. (Not just sour grapes on the night, i have always championed getting in out the sport).Between 1863 and 2016 football got on fine with out it. Anyway Schwab made no mistake from the spot and I think I have caused some serious damage to my wrist thumping the seat next to me.
Not even the most ardent of Aberdeen fluffers could say there was no hint of utter shitebaggery at Pittodrie tonight. As soon as the first PAOK goal went in it was clear how the game was going to go. Robson said after, his teams mentality doesn’t need questioned. That is certainly debatable as they collapsed. But the team was not helped by the crazy subs on 70 minutes which he tried to defend by putting it down to “cramp” and “struggling” for all three. This I also seriously doubt. Three points chucked away on a night that promised so much with half an hour to go, but as I as I said at the top. I have backed Barry a lot and I am sure I will again. But tonight I cannot.
“Football, bloody hell” and I think Wee Man felt the same as when walking back to the car in Froghall he said, “I like watching football when I don’t care who wins better, I just get upset when Aberdeen lose”. I feel it min, bloody hell I feel it. A woeful and unnecessary capitulation.
Entrance – Me £31, Wee Man £10
Attendance – 16089
Pie – £6.70, Coffee, Twix, AFC Rock
Pint – £4.90, Coors, Mill of Mundurno
Score Predictions – Me 0 v 2, Wee Man 0 v 2
Season Score Prediction Totals – Me 0 v 0 Wee Man
FITBAWBAG 